Morning Briefing
Summaries of health policy coverage from major news organizations
States Detail Concerns About How They Will Fare Under GOP Plan
California Insurance Commissioner Dave Jones blasted House Republicans鈥 proposed bill to repeal the Affordable Care Act on Wednesday, saying it would deal a devastating blow to the state鈥檚 health insurance marketplace and potentially leave 5 million Californians without health coverage. Jones, the state鈥檚 top health insurance regulator who is also running for California attorney general in 2018, cautioned that the GOP proposal would lead to a health care death spiral that would result in skyrocketing premiums and millions more uninsured. (Hart, 3/8)
Get your insurance through the individual marketplace set up through the Affordable Care Act? Well, if you鈥檙e someone who earns $16,394 to $47,520 you probably get a subsidy to help pay for it. But under the Republicans鈥 plan those subsidies will change, benefiting people who make up to $75,000 with tax credits to help pay for their health care. Low-income individuals will聽end up getting less. (Seipel, 3/8)
An antiabortion provision in the recently unveiled House GOP plan to replace Obamacare could make it impossible for most Californians to take advantage of proposed tax credits meant to offset the cost of health insurance. The Republican healthcare proposal would offer individual tax credits to people who do not get insurance from their employer, but it would prohibit that money from being spent on plans that cover abortion 鈥 a ban that would make virtually all health plans in the state ineligible for such credits. (Mason, 3/8)
Ohio hospitals and state lawmakers are worried provisions in the long-awaited Republican legislation to repeal and replace the Affordable Care Act (ACA) could harm the state's successful Medicaid expansion and the financial stability of many hospitals. Plans to reduce federal funding for the state-run insurance plan for low-income residents and to limit enrollment聽could once again increase the number of uninsured patients in the state, they fear. (Zeltner, 3/8)
The U.S. House Republican plan to replace the Affordable Care Act would phase out Arizona's Medicaid expansion after 2020 and limit subsidies that help low-income residents purchase health insurance. Health-care experts predict the bill could mean fewer people would be covered under the Republican plan. (Alltucker, 3/8)
The Georgia House speaker said Wednesday that while he hasn鈥檛 had time to study the new Republican health care plan in Congress, he has initial concerns about it. David Ralston, a Republican from Blue Ridge, told attendees at the Atlanta Press Club that he has some worry that Georgia, as a state that has not expanded Medicaid, may be hurt under the new plan. And he said he hopes Republicans won鈥檛 rush a plan through Congress, and 鈥渨ill take the time to get it right.鈥 (Miller, 3/8)
The growing conservative revolt over the House GOP鈥檚 healthcare proposal has carved a dividing line for candidates for Georgia鈥檚 6th District seat struggling over whether to embrace a plan Donald Trump supports or oppose it amid a backlash from conservatives, Democrats and industry groups. (Bluestein, 3/9)
The Republican proposal to replace Obamacare has big implications for Connecticut residents who purchase individual health insurance plans, depending on different factors like age and income level. Young people with high incomes or who live聽in low-premium states like Massachusetts, New Hampshire, and Washington, could聽receive larger assistance under the replacement plan, according to an analysis by the Kaiser Family Foundation. (Ba Tran, 3/8)
There are big implications for Connecticut鈥檚 single biggest source of coverage. That would be Medicaid, which covers nearly 770,000 poor children and adults, and people with disabilities. Approximately 217,000 people 鈥 low-income adults without minor children 鈥 are covered by a portion of the state鈥檚 Medicaid program that was created by the Affordable Care Act. If you鈥檙e not among the one in five Connecticut residents covered by Medicaid, the program still has big implications for you as a taxpayer: Medicaid is the state鈥檚 largest source of federal funds, and the largest single line item in the state budget. (Levin Becker, 3/8)
During a day of acrimonious partisanship over the future of America鈥檚 health care system, Rep. John Larson on Wednesday was among the Democrats who tried to alter and slow the progress of a bill that would repeal and replace the Affordable Care Act. The American Health Care Act was the subject of twin markups in the House Ways and Means Committee, of which Larson is a member, and the Energy and Commerce Committee. (Radelat, 3/8)
Closer to home, the bill is sparking concerns from advocates for seniors and people with disabilities. Grace Smith, executive director of the Council on Aging of Middle Tennessee, said a provision that would allow insurers to charge older shoppers up to five times more than younger people is alarming. Seniors will make up more than one-fifth of the state's population in the coming years. (Fletcher, 3/8)
Gov. Scott Walker would not say Wednesday whether he supports House Speaker Paul Ryan's plan to replace Obamacare in its current form, repeatedly calling it "a work in progress" at a pair of stops. The governor and other Republicans for six years have railed against the Affordable Care Act, but Walker claimed repealing it and replacing it with Ryan's plan would not affect most people. (Spicuzza and Marley, 3/8)